The Underground
by Serenity Of The Sound
Summary: When Raixia looks for an arsonist to kill her and burn down her foster father's house, she finds Axel. She hires him but he convinces her to live and join the Organization. ocXaxel rated M for language and smut in later chapters.fave and Review, plz!
1. More Then She Bargined For

"Hey, girly! Why don't you come over here and I'll show you something special." Raixia didn't even bother to turn around as she continued to make her way silently up to the second floor of the bar. She hadn't even hung around for a drink, well, not that anyone would give her one. She looked underage and was, and she was certain they'd card her, even in an Underground place like this. And besides, she didn't want to be seen in this place for too long. People would be suspicious, especially since she was entering the second floor, where one of the Organization was rumored to take business in.

She'd heard about the Organization in whispers at her High School. And the gossip was whispered just in case, because it was said that anyone who talked about the street gang would be dead in a day. They were supposed to be a large group of cold-blooded killers, which were sometimes for hire. She'd heard from a few of the graduates that there was one member that took business in an old bar called Pyro, which housed some drunks and the usual mugger.

So here she was, at the door of said member. She wasn't afraid of the muggers, nor was she afraid of the leering men in the floor before. She touched the arm-long staff that would snap open if she needed it, making sure that if was safely strapped inside her black trench coat. If she was confronted with a dangerous situation, all she had to do was press down on the carved moon near the end of the small staff and it would snap open to a staff almost taller than her, complete with a curved, sharp blade at the end. It was a miniature glaive, and a deadly one at that. It had taken her years to find, and she had long since mastered it with the help of a dead friend.

Gathering her courage she opened the door, not bothering to knock. Raixia was not polite, and she mused that it would be her downfall. A sharp spike was pointed at the base of her throat as she closed the door behind her. It shut quietly, and she looked down at the spike with interest. "Hasn't anyone taught you manners, little girl? I'd hate to kill you before I've had a chance to.........get to know you."

Once again, Raixia cursed the way that she looked. She wasn't bad looking at all; as a matter of fact she was considered a beauty with her Long, white blond hair that fell to her waist, her pale skin, curves, and Large eyes that seemed to change color with her emotions, in shades of blues, greens, and grays. They were dark blue with fear now, even if she didn't show it. Her looks might have been more useful to someone more innocent, like her twin, but they were an inconvinance for someone like herself.

She rolled her eyes at the implied meaning at his sentence, and at the way his fiery green eyes scanned her body. "I'm not a little girl, and I don't need manners where I'm going." she retorted coolly. His eyebrows raised, and he pushed a lock of his long, spiky, flame colored hair away from his face. "And where would that be?" she put on an almost bored face, that she matched to her tone of voice. "Hell, possibly. I want to hire you." He crossed his arms, and leered down at her. Why did he have to be so damn tall? "I'm expensive." Her eyes narrowed. "I can afford you." She retorted. She glared at him for a long moment; her eyes turned a deep green slowly, as she became inpatient and angry. The man sat down at his desk, and motioned her to take one of the three chairs in front of the desk. The one on the left was soft and comfortable, the middle an exact replica of the one he sat in, and the last a straight back chair made of coarse wood.

Raixia understood at once that he was testing her. It didn't matter what he thought of her, she'd have no time to care when the deed was done. She considered the last chair, but on a whim chose the one in the middle. This seemed to satisfy the man, and he pulled out a pad of paper and a pen. "Now what is it that you want?" Raixia began immediately, and tried to force all her emotion out of her voice. "My foster father, myself. Dead. One week from now. But....." He wrote all of that down, and looked up at her curiously. "But what?" Raixia dug her nails into the arm rests of her chair, knowing that she was about to show her ultimate weakness to a total and dangerous stranger. "My sister will be home. I want her out alive or no deal." He gave her a strange look. "I know I can't kill myself, and I don't want to do it if I don't die. I'll only hinder my sister, and I always have. I can't just disappear. I am still too young to live on my own. People will ask questions." she explained. He was quiet for just a moment. "You have determination, kid. Guts, coming up here to me. Nobody around here would give a fuck about where you come from, what you've done." He lowered his voice to a whisper, and Raixia strained her ears to hear. "I could take you in, make you disappear. I got a friend who can make exact replicas of a person, just put one in your bed, light a Molotov, and no one would be able to say the remains weren't you. And the Organization could use another member like you. Your sister would never know. I'd take care of you." Raixia didn't care otherwise. All she wanted was for Raisa to live her life without her holding her back anymore.

She leaned forward, close enough to tease, but not for an invitation. "You just want me to sleep with you." she accused, proud that she kept her voice bored and even. The man chuckled, and she met flaming green eyes that seem to smolder. "Is that a bonus?" She leaned back, and dropped a pouch of munny on the desk. He took it and seemed to count it with his eyes. "If the Organization doesn't want me, I want you to kill me. That's part of what I'm paying you for anyway. Do I have your word?" She could almost feel her eyes change to their serious grey, and she gave him a long look. "Of course. That and more, if you'd take it." Raixia rolled her eyes, and got up. "Before you go, there is something you should know." she stood, and watched as he also got to his feet. "Every member has a tattoo, and you will too, if you pass the test. They'll also give you a number. My friend has one. He's another blonde, and crazy. Ask to see his tattoo and he'll do what he was sent to do." Tattoos. Raixia had always admired them from afar, but was too young to get one legally. "What's it look like?" she asked, her curiosity breaking through. The man grinned, and undid the buckle of his pants. Her eyes widened for a fraction of a second. "If it's where I think it is, then I don't need to see." she said tartly. The man laughed. "Don't be so fucking modest." he had pulled his pants down so only the left side of his hip was exposed. There, in red and black ink over a spiky background, was the Roman numeral VIII, number eight. "Nice." she admired. He pulled his tight jeans back up, and she turned to leave for real. She got to the door and wrapped her fingers around the cold metal knob, when she felt his breath on her neck. She had started to refer to him as Eight in her mind, the moment that she had seen the tattoo. "Do I at least get a name?" he almost purred into her ear. Raixia's heart was pounding hard, double the amount that it had when she had come in. "Raixia." He placed a soft, chaste kiss on her cheek, and she felt a red-hot blush creep up to her face. "I'll see you next week, Raixia. I'll be looking forward to it."

She left the room above the bar with way more then she had bargained for.


	2. Arson

A week later she paced in her little bedroom, well past midnight. A black backpack on her messy, unmade bed held her iPod, laptop, the rest of her money, a few knifes, and several changes of clothes. Her Glaive hung at her belt, hidden by the long leather trench coat that she wore. She had on steel toed boots made for kicking, along with tight black jeans and a simple black top under her coat. She continued to pace, wondering when Eight would make his appearance. At that moment she heard the lock on her window rattle, and she turned to find a blond man at her window. Her eyes grew wide in surprise and turned a brilliant blue, and she cursed herself for not paying attention. She snapped the latch and opened the window, and the man stepped inside her room, lugging a big black body bag behind him. "You're just a little girl." he growled, looking her over. "Hm. wish everyone would stop saying that." She answered in a tone steeped with annoyance. "If I'm just a little girl, then why don't you show me your tattoo?" The blond man scowled. "Eight talks too much." he said, but lifted up his hair to show to show the roman numeral IV tattooed in black and blue ink on the back of his neck. Without another word she helped him lift a lifelike doll out of the bag and position it on her bed. Four then went over to her window, and jumped down. Raixia slipped on her backpack and followed, falling down the two stories of distance and landing cat like on her feet.

"So you finally came out. I was wondering if the girl had changed her mind." said a dark, almost gloomy voice. "Oh, is this the one that ax- Eight was talking about? The scary one with the white hair and stuff and--" The annoying, overly cheery voice was cut off abruptly. "Shut up, Nine, and do what Eight told you to do. Where is he, anyway? She's supposed to be his responsibility." Said Four. It was Dark outside, and Raixia couldn't make out any of the hooded faces. She listened closely to the different voices, matching them to their numbers. The annoying voice was the man that Four called Nine, but she didn't know who the man with the gloomy voice was. They waited in the dark for a few long minutes. Raixia frowned nervously, wondering where Eight could be. "Sorry to keep you waiting." said the low, purring voice of the man that she had hired. she shivered, just wanting it to be all over."I just had to pick up a few things. let's get this show on the road. Nine? on three." She felt slightly reassured at the sound of Eight's voice. This was just a simple arson to them, but she still felt nervous. What if something went wrong?

She felt Eight stand beside her, and was comforted by his overly warm body heat. "As soon as I tell you to, run for your life. don't stop until I say so, got it?" She nodded, and she saw him pull something out of his jacket pocket. It was a bottle with a fuse, and he handed it to Nine. "one....." sang the annoying man. He took a lighter out of his pocket, and flicked it open. "Two....." the flame clicked on high, and he touched it to the fuse. "Three!!" the fuse lit, and with an expert flick of his wrist, Nine tossed the flaming bottle into her open window. "Now, Raixia." He grabbed the girl by the arm and they ran hard. The explosion was a smaller one then she had expected, and she heard a scream in the distance. They ran down the street and rounded a corner, to where a black car sat waiting. She could finally see in the dim light of the street lamps as Eight dove into the backseat of the small SUV, taking her with him. Four followed in after them, and the gloomy voiced member slid into the driver's seat. She was pressed into Eight's side from the lack of the room, and tried to move an inch or so away. she dumped her backpack onto the floor of the car, and hugged herself. "Where's Nine?" she said, peering through the tinted windows at the blaze that had been her house. She started shake, but she didn't know why. she didn't feel anything at the moment except for a rush of satisfaction and a twinge of worry for her sister, and that house had held only hellish memories for her. "Poor little girl. you have enough to worry about." Eight put an arm around her, and pushed her head gently to his chest. She wondered mildly if she should fight him; would the other members think that she was weak and soft for accepting the comfort, and mess with her for it later? or would they just leave it alone, and let the matter go?

Raixia realized that this was yet another test.

and once more Raixia really didn't care. she let him hold her, pressing her cheek to the warm fabric of his shirt. her shaking slowly halted. "Clearly I was mistaken in having any sort of hope that Eight is capable of thinking with the proper organ. Now I know why you took the job." Four mused loudly, breaking the tense silence in the car. Eight aimed a kick at the blond man, and connected. Raixia resisted the urge to laugh. They were acting like a family of brothers. A very dysfunctional family. "You're just jealous that you don't have such a hot beautiful girl hanging off of YOU." Retorted Eight almost smugly, petting Raixia's hair. "I can assure you that your Hot Beautiful girls hanging off of me holds no interest for me." Four assured Eight just as smugly. "I do not deal in pedestry, and I am highly insulted that you would assume I do." The gloomy man made an annoyed sound. "I am highly insulted that you two are talking about your sex lives in the car." he said. Just then, the passenger's door opened, and someone slid into the seat. "We could talk about MY sex life. "volunteered the voice of Nine. Raixia snickered, hearing the leer in his voice. Eight continued to play with her hair. "I'd rather you not, seeing as I'm in it." snarled the gloomy man. He started the car, and then they were off.

She had no chance to see where they were going; she assumed that Eight had kept her in the hug to both obscure her vision and comfort her. After about an hour of driving they came to a stop. Eight finally released her, and they got out of the car. Raixia found herself inside the grounds of an old castle/mansion, which was surrounded by a tall, spiked, iron gate. she stretched, slinging her backpack over one arm. She reached in her coat and stroked the cold metal of her Glaive soothingly, as Eight and the other men led her to a large front door. Four took a key out of his pocket, unlocked the door, and they all went in.

The general theme inside the mansion was white. Raixia's were stinging as she looked at the white floor, white walls, white furniture and white ceiling. Eight kept a protective arm curled around her waist as they walked down hallway after hallway, through a few courtyards and a library. The place was surprisingly barren. it seemed that the majority of the gang was gathered somewhere for a reason that was unknown to her. They came to a stop at a big, white door. Eight pulled her aside before they entered, earning a glare from both Four and the gloomy man. "We're going to see Number One now. He's the leader, and a Tight ass, so don't be surprised if he's not impressed. They'll test you in there, Raixia. Aim low. You know how to do that, don't you?" She punched him hard in the shoulder. "Shut up." He laughed, rubbing his sore arm. "That's the Spitfire who hired me! and by the way, the others'll give you names later." She frowned, leaning in. "you never told me your's. I might die in there never knowing the name of the perverted but attractive arsonist who burned down my house." He chuckled, and leaned in even closer. "Axel." He murmured. their lips were almost touching, and she could feel his warm breath on her face. "Will you PLEASE save your sexcapades for later? We were supposed to be here an hour ago." grumbled Four. Raixia stepped back, and Axel opened the door.

The room was circular, with chairs built into the wall, creating the effect that they were floating and high off the ground. Every chair was filled save for five of them, and every single member wore black hooded leather trench coats, hiding their faces. They were very intimidating, and Raixia did her best to keep a straight, fearless expression. "Eight. we expected you, Six, Four, and Nine an hour ago. not only are you late, but it seems that you've brought a child with you." said a steely, cold voice. Raixia looked up at a tall figure seated in a white chair taller than the others. The figure threw back its hood to reveal a man with silver hair and yellow eyes like a hawk's. "What is the meaning of this?" Raixia felt slightly angry, and scowled. "I'm not a child." She stated, looking directly into the man's eyes. Her own turned from shocking blue to a light grey that was almost white. "And I hired him. He took me with him after he set the fire I asked him to set." Axel gave her a dirty look that seemed to say, I Was Going To Tell Him That! "I thought she'd make a good addition to the Organization." admitted the arsonist. A man laughed. "Are you serious? She's only a little girl." Axel looked up at a hooded figure. "If you remember, I was younger than her when I joined." He said quietly. "That was different. both you and nine were born in the underground." argued the figure. "She'll just slow us down." Raixia clenched her fists and resisted the urge to leap up and throttle the figure. Before Axel could argue back, the silver haired man held up a hand. "Eight has a point. let her prove herself in combat." The figure that had argued with Axel cursed softly. "Let me fight her." said a cocky female voice. Axel scowled again. The silver haired man seemed to think this over. "No." he said at last. "Eleven. try not to injure her too badly." A tall figure with a huge green and pink scythe nodded, and jumped down. Raixia tugged her Glaive out of its loop in her trench coat, and then slid off the coat. There was a whistle from one of the higher members, and Axel took her trench coat. "good luck." he whispered, soft enough that none of the others could hear him. Raixia gave him a short nod, and stepped into position.

She backtracked a few paces, out of range of the scythe. The man tugged down his hood, bearing his sky blue eyes and pink hair. "Afraid of me, little girl? I can't say I'm surprised. I have the advantage here. it seems you are going to fight me with nothing but a pipe." Raixia's eyes narrowed and she pressed down on the carved moon at the middle of the staff, and held out her arm as it snapped to its full length. The long, curved blade at the end glittered wickedly. The man swung his long weapon in an arc, aiming at her side. she moved smoothly out of the way, and parried his next blow with ease. Her arms moved on their own in a flurry of memorized strikes and patterns with deadly accuracy, dancing away when his own strikes grew too close for comfort. She felt the rush of adrenaline fill her with strength as she moved faster, feeling lighter on her feet then she ever had before. He succeeded in driving her close to him, but before he could put his Scythe to her throat she thrust the blunt end of her Glaive near his own and pressed down on a carved star near the moon. Another curved blade snapped out of a hidden slit in the metal, biting into his skin.

"That's enough."

Raixia didn't take her eyes off her opponent and waited for him to yield first. The man met her eyes, which turned a dark, dark blue that unnerved he then lowered his weapon. She lowered her Glaive, and then pressed on the moon and star. The ends snapped back in, and in less than a second, it was back to arm length, looking relatively harmless. The man stepped back, and she turned her gaze back to the silver haired man. "You have shown some raw talent, but there is not true way to show that you would make a good member of the organization without a manner of other tests. a week with Two should be enough." She blinked hard, and when her eyes were open again, he had dropped from his seat and stood in front of her. he tilted her chin up with one hand, and looked her deep in the eyes. "Do not be a disappointment." He ruffled her hair and chuckled as she batted his hand away in annoyance. His tone was one of dismissal, and she wasn't surprised when Axel swept her out of the room, Another member following behind.

"Nice footwork." said Axel, handing her Coat and backpack back. they walked down several halls and up a flight of stone stairs. They stopped in a corridor at last, and Raixia leaned against a wall to catch her breath, and to take a look at the man who was number Two. He was tall, with a jagged scar running down his left cheek, and an eye patch over his right eye. her eyes widened at the scar, and he noticed her reaction. "Hey, chill out little dude. just some old wounds. don't be so nervous." He reached over and ruffled her hair, then to her annoyance, crouched to meet her height. she hated being shorter and younger than most of the men. "You seem all right, able to handle yourself. wanna see something cool?" She looked into his remaining golden eye warily. "Sure." she agreed, wondering if he was trying to play a trick on her. He casually flicked his eye patch up, and she swallowed the gasp that was trying to force its way out of her throat.

Two's left eye was scarred closed by one long slice that was obviously old. The roman numeral II was tattooed over it in livid color, but the scar still showed. She touched her left shoulder in sympathy, feeling her own scar tissue under the cheap black fabric of her shirt. "Nice tat." She admired, a small smile finding its way on her lips. He clapped her on her scarred shoulder, and she tried not to flinch. he chuckled. "I like you kid. Name's Xigbar." Raixia nodded. "Raixia." she answered. Xigbar gave Axel, who was leaning against the opposite wall, a suggestive leer."I'll leave you two alone for a few minutes. you know where the room is." Then, without a second glance, he walked off quickly, leaving a confused Raixia to glare at Axel for some sort of explanation.

"That means Xigbar likes you." Said Axel, grinning. He wrapped a strong arm around her waist and they began walking in the direction Xigbar left in. Raixia liked Xigbar well enough, but there had been something about him that had un nerved her. He made her almost uneasy. "Look, don't mind the old bastard. I'm pretty sure he won't molest you in your sleep, though how he resists you is damn near impossible if you ask me." Raixia blushed. "Shut up." she growled, giving him one of her scarier looks. "Look, kid, there's something you should probably know about me: I almost never shut up. Nine is probably the only one who talks more than me. so no, I'm not going to shut up, no matter how much you threaten me, and trust me, I've been threatened by the best. Xigbar's already shot me in the ass once, and you can obviously see how that turned out, Rapexia" She pushed him hard, her blush deepening. "The next time you call me Rapexia I'll shove my Glaive down your throat." They stopped, and Axel bent down so that their eyes met and their faces were close. "I'd like to see you try." Raixia threw down her stuff, and grabbed hold of his shirt collar, pulling their faces closer. Axel's grin widened so that it was almost comical. "I could do it if I wanted to." She almost purred. Axel's hands snaked tighter around her waist, but she didn't notice as she continued to glare at him with fiery green eyes that seemed to change shades, flickering with the fire that was burning within Axel's.

Then Axel's lips met her own, crushing onto them so suddenly that Raixia let out a gasp. he slipped his tongue into her mouth; he tasted like smoke, and his kiss was so hot that it felt like fire. He slammed her into a wall but she liked the pain and locked her legs around his waist, pulling him even closer. Her mind was in a daze, she knew this was too soon after all that had happened, but it felt too good, so right, so wrong, and Axel seemed to want her so badly, she was so tired, tired of being so cold and wishing for the warmth--

"Fuck." He let go of her, and just as suddenly as it had happened, it was over. she untangled herself from him, standing on her own two feet. "You're a tease, do you know that? You shouldn't do shit like that. I'm not exactly known for my self control, Raixia." He pulled her into a very gentle hug, which she tried to return.

"Right." she agreed almost painfully, her eyes turning a sad grey. "It's been a long day. I should probably get some sleep anyway." Axel wrapped an arm around Raixia's tiny waist again and they walked down the corridor, Raixia's mind still in a daze. They stopped at what seemed to be Xigbar's door and Axel looked down at her strangely before his usual grin spread across his face again. He placed a chaste kiss on her lips and murmured a soft good night; going off in the direction that she guessed was where his own rooms were. She touched her burning lips with one finger, and smiled.

Once again, Raixia had come back with more then she had bargained for.


	3. Caught In The Act

_Hello, Serenity here!_

_this is my first author's note EVER! :D_

_This fic started out as a one-shot, but has grown with all the support of my friends who want to figure out what happens to Raixia! :D _

_Honestly, i can't blame them! lol_

_Later in the fic it gets more exciting, and i promise for more updates soon! the more reviews i get, the more chapters go up each week, so PLEASE REVIEW!_

That's all for now, so i'll see you in the next chapter! :D

Raixia buried her face into her borrowed pillow, hearing almost-familiar voices enter her dreamscape. She stretched out, still not ready to wake up. "KAMIKAZE!!!!" Someone yelled. Her eyes flew open just in time to see the same someone hit her. She grabbed a hold of whoever it was, and threw them hard, straight into a wall. She rubbed at her eyes, breath coming fast. "Nice throw!" exclaimed the cheery voice of Nine. "Hey, what's that on your shoulder? are your eyes changing color?" Cold shame and terror ran through her in a single feeling, and she jerked the blanket she had covered herself with the night before over her scarred, tank-top clad shoulder. "Nothing. and yes they tend to do that. what time is it?" Her cell phone was in her backpack leaning against the couch she had been sleeping on. she pushed herself into a sitting position, making sure the blanket was still covering her bad shoulder. "Past noon. Xigbar said to wake you up and take you to the shooting range. he's already there." She sighed, noticing that Six was leaning against the wall near Nine. "Fine. you two wait outside. I'll be out in a minute." The two men left, Nine chattering to Six. When the door was fully closed she let the blanket fall back on the couch and got up, getting a clean outfit of tight black jeans and a black half shirt with half sleeves out. She slipped off her black shorts and tugged on the jeans, buckling them with a stud belt. Off went the tank-top, exposing the long, fresh, jagged scar that started from the top of her shoulder and ended in a curve below her right breast. It was a shade darker then her normally light skin that was slightly pale from her aversion to direct sunlight. She put on her half-shirt, glad that it showed her toned abs, and that it still clung to her curves. She ran a brush through her hair, then went out of Xigbar's room Nine and Six were waiting in the hallway, Nine playing with Six's long emo hair. She cleared her throat and Nine looked over to her. "Oh hey Raixia are you ready to go? and oh yeah my name's Demyx by the way, he's Zexion and totally mine in case you get bored with Axel." Raixia smiled, completely taken aback by Demyx's cheery attitude. If Raixia was threatening someone, she'd do it less happily and more aggressively. Zexion punched Demyx hard in the shoulder. Demyx cried out in mock pain, and Raixia couldn't resist laughing. Demyx grinned, satisfied that he had made her laugh. "You are too weird." She told him. Zexion dryly agreed, earning him a shove from Demyx.  
Demyx and Zexion led her through many halls and corridors until they came to an open courtyard. The familiar smell of gunpowder greeted her along with a sharp bang that came from a walled off area in an alcove nearby. When she took a few steps forward Zexion pulled her back roughly by the arm. She jerked out of his hold, and glared. "Be the gunman, not the target." recited Demyx, with a goofy smile on his face. She rolled her eyes, and looked to Zexion for some sort of explanation. "Xigbar has the tendency to shoot first and berate you for sneaking up on him later. he'd sense you coming and you'd be down on the ground before you could even make a move against him." She crossed her arms. "then how do we get his attention?" Zexion did not answer, but messed with a keypad on the wall. A moment later the shooting in the alcove stopped.  
"Well it took you long enough!" Raixia jumped, startled by the sound of Xigbar's voice behind her. she turned quickly to find herself face to face with the man himself. "How did you....?" She asked weakly, eyes wide in surprise. Xigbar gave her a grin, pleased that he'd scared her. "Teleportation. just one of my specialties. it's a form of magic." Raixia did a double take, and gave him a glare of disbelief. "No way! are you trying to tell me that magic's real? i'm sixteen, you know. i'm not that young." In a flash of black light Xigbar was gone. "If magic's not real, then how did i do that?" She nearly jumped out of her skin as Xigbar appeared next to her at an angle, His grin wider then it had been before. She blinked hard, her mind spinning."Hey, if evil Organizations could turn out not as bad as they seemed, then why can't magic exist?" she thought to herself. "Now that that trip to reality is over with, why don't we talk guns. Ever used one before?"  
Six shot up targets later Raixia sank into her old shooting routine, Her eyes staying their standard mix of green and blue. Although owning guns were pretty much illegal in the city, Raixia had been taught to shoot by one of her foster uncles when she'd been old enough to walk on her own. It had been years since she'd last held one, and after much grip correcting by Xigbar, she fell back into the old rhythm of shooting and reloading. She stopped wincing at the loud sound of the bullets firing after her first dozen shots, and started to hit very, very close to the bull's eye once she fell into her familiar concentration zone. After she had finished her seventh target, Xigbar touched her shoulder in the Stop-Shooting gesture that he'd taught her. She pulled out her empty clip and handed him the 97 Magnum she had been using. "Nice work, little dude. You just need to work on your grip a little. Sometimes you get too tense. feel free to use the range when i'm not." He patted her on the head and left to put the guns and empty clips away. Someone gave her a low whistle and she turned around to see Axel, dressed in a black tank top that showed his lean muscles, and black jeans. "I think I'll watch my step around you when you're moody and have a gun in your hand. things could get messy." She scowled, and looked away. "Yeah!" chimed in Demyx. "You shoulda' seen her face when she found out about magic! It was hilarious!" She turned her glare on him, and he hid behind Zexion. "So if magic's real then what do you do?" she shot back. Demyx grinned. "Everyone focuses on an element. I'm water. look, I'll show you!" He thrust out his hand, and slowly, water began to gather in a ball and float in midair. Raixia admitted to herself that it was pretty cool.  
Until the water rose higher into the air, and dumped on her.  
Axel insisted on walking her back to change into dry clothes before Xigbar took her to the mansion's library. Xigbar stayed at the range for extra practice and let Axel take her, but not without a few comments that made her cheeks burn. She glared at Axel through sodden bangs as they walked to Xigbar's rooms. "Aww, what's with the face?" he teased, with his usual grin. "It was funny and you know it. you left yourself open." She folded her arms. "Hmph. you're not the one soaked. I've always hated the water." They walked for a few more minutes, and came to a stop at Xigbar's room. She pointed to the ground in front of the door. "Stay." she told him sternly, like she was scolding a puppy. "I'll be out in a moment. i don't know my way to the library." She opened the door and went in, but was not surprised to find that Axel had followed her in. She gave him one of her patented Fuck-You-I-Told-You-To-Stay-Out glares, and turned around. She heard the door lock as she took off her shirt, letting it fall to the floor. She felt uncomfortable with Axel standing there, watching her undress. None of her boyfriends had ever seen her minus clothes. The kiss the night before had been incredible,and she had liked him the moment she had paid him to kill her foster father, but he'd stopped last night.  
and it had hurt, felt too much like rejection.  
She remembered rejection. She remembered how it felt to be denied, to be pushed aside like she was worthless. It was was a feeling that filled her with the ice cold pain of being alone. of being unwanted. It was a feeling that had plagued her for so many years since her childhood, given to her by countless foster parents as she and her sister were passed along like broken toys, like hand-me-downs to the next child. The scar on her shoulder was a memory of rejection, and if she focused on that long enough she could feel the pain of her foster father's knife. She hesitated to undo her belt buckle, her hand hovering over it. Axel moved behind her and she turned her head slightly. Then she was caught by the intense look in the older man's eyes, so caught that she did nothing to stop him as he reached around her waist and undid her belt buckle, and slid off her jeans. His hands were warm as they glided down her body, and she felt as if she were in a dream as he pushed her gently on to Xigbar's bed. She would never forget the feeling of His weight on her body, pressing her into the mattress, their bodies fitting perfectly together. She was filled with his warmth as he brushed his lips against hers, pulling her into a deep kiss and once again she tasted him. she couldn't resist him as he found the sensitive spot at the base of her throat, biting softly and teasing the flesh with his tongue. Her eyes were flickering in between colors as his hands wandered, touching her in places that made her shiver. she pulled him into another kiss, nibbling on his lip, earning her a low moan from Axel.  
Then someone started pounding on the door. "Axel! Raixia! don't think that i don't know what's going on in there! if you don't come out in exactly five minutes I'll let Demyx break the door down." Said the voice of Xigbar from outside the door. Axel released Raixia, and let out a string of curse words that even Raixia would never use. He got up and offered her a hand. She took it and let him draw her up, trying to stand on her own. She still felt warm and dream-like, and she didn't want to wake up, but had no choice. She dug in her backpack for clothes, feeling embarrassed. "I just love it when you blush." teased Axel, as she pulled on a tight silk shirt and another pair of black WAS blushing, but only because Xigbar had caught them. "I just bet you do." she replied, lacing up her boots. She got up and let Axel open up the door and go out first. Xigbar greeted him with a leer that said it all. Raixia tried to keep a straight face and hoped that she had not changed The older man's opinion of her.  
"you read fast." commented Xigbar as she shut her third book. Raixia shrugged, got up, and placed it back on the shelf where it belonged. "I read a lot. what's next?" Xigbar handed her another book, and she opened it. "You've read all the basics, so it's time you learned the summoning magic that we use for our weapons. this book explains it all." She opened the book, and sighed. "I told you i don't have any that you've explained to me has ever happened. No mysterious fires, or floods, or storms. Nothing." She started to read,thinking that this type of training was useless. She knew she didn't have any magic. "There are rare cases of certain types of magic that only develop in special situations. You could be a rare case. so shut up and read." She grumbled something under her breath but continued to read, flipping pages and pulling herself into her usual concentration zone. "Xigbar. the Superior wants to see the both of us." Raixia looked up from her seat to find a man bigger and taller then anyone she had ever seen standing near the Small table that she and Xigbar were seated at. Xigbar got up. "How does he expect me to teach her if I'm not around." Said Xigbar, in a half complaint.  
The big man shrugged. "I take it that this is the girl from last night." Raixia wished that she were taller once more. it seemed that everyone in the Organization would always be bigger then her. "Of course she is. How do you forget a performance like hers?" The big man chuckled, a deep rumbling sound that Raixia could almost feel in her bones. "Of course. Marluxia is still angry that he lost to a woman, and a small one at that." He turned his gaze on her, and she met dark eyes that were strong and steady. "You did well. I am Lexeaus." She gave him a small smile, and offered her hand. "Raixia. it's a pleasure to meet you." He took her hand, and shook, not too hard, but not soft enough to show her that he would go easy on her. "The pleasure is all mine. Xigbar, you should come with me before the Superior gets impatient." He realized her hand, and the two men turned to leave. "You can finish that tomorrow, Raixia. you've done enough." Xigbar told her before he left. She nodded, but continued to read.  
an hour later she made her way over to the large shelf full of magic books, and put away the ones that she had finished. She was pushing the last one back into it's spot when she felt two warm hands squeeze her breasts rudely from behind. She was greeted by the familiar scent of smoke, and she knew at once who it was that held her. "You shouldn't sneak up on me like that, Axel." she chided. She pushed the book into it's place then leaned into his touch. "why not?" he teased, his hands moving to pull her in a close embrace. "You liked it when i did earlier this morning." His hands slid down to her hips, and she tilted her head to the side and stole a pushed her up against the bookshelf, and she wound her hands into his wild mane of red hair as he found a sensitive spot at her pulse point below her jawline. "You know, that is quite distracting. some of us are trying to study in here." came a low, growling voice from the shadows. "Fucking damn it. Can't we ever do anything without getting caught?" complained Axel, placing one last kiss at the edge of her lower lip. She frowned, and let go of him reluctantly.  
a taller man with long, black dreadlocks seemed to melt out of the shadows, and make himself known. Raixia began to blush furiously, and she glared at the other man. "You aren't a usual visitor of the library, Xaldin. I half expected Larxene to catch us instead." said Axel, with his usual lazy grin."I would have, but i was looking for a more humiliating moment to announce my presence." said a throaty female voice from nearby. A young blond woman with short hair slipped out of the shadows like the man had, with a scornful smile on her face. Raixia resisted the urge to slap the smirk right off her face. She gritted her teeth, and tried to smile. Axel slipped a possessive arm around her shoulders, and she succeeded in giving the man and young woman an angry, dark smile. "Can't say I'm surprised." said Axel, eyeing the other woman with obvious distaste. "You've always skulked around in the shadows like a little spy." Larxene's eyes narrowed, and Raixia could feel the tension crackle in the air, almost like electricity. Raixia wished that she had done the right thing and armed herself this morning instead of leaving her glaive back in Xigbar's room. "And i can't say that I'M surprised to find you here with the new little girl." she replied nastily. "You've always taken whatever you could get." The arm around her waist tightened almost painfully, and Raixia could sense Axel's growing anger. "Take it back."  
All eyes turned to the short, pale blond girl that was being held by the arsonist. "What was that?" said Larxene, turning to face the other girl. Raixia's eyes flickered through shades of angry greens and greys. "You heard me. Take it back or I'll make you take it back." Raixia tensed her muscles, ready to pounce. The arm around her tightened so much that it was an effort to draw breath. "I can take care of this myself!" hissed Axel in her ear. With surprising strength that she never knew she had she broke free of his arm, and took a step other girl said nothing; it was a mocking silence, one that rang in the air. Raixia sprang, knocking Larxene to the ground. She twisted the woman into a strong, painful headlock, as Larxene thrashed, bit, and tried to break Raixia's hold. Raixia let her struggle for a minute or two, then turned her bruising hold into a crushing one that cut off most of Larxene's air. Axel and Xaldin didn't seem to interfere, only watch with slight interest. "all right!" Rasped Larxene after a few more minutes of pointless struggling. "I give---in!" Raixia released her at once, and got up. she offered Larxene a hand, to help pull her up, but the other woman slapped it away. she got up herself and left abruptly, snarling a few of Raixia's favorite curse words under her breath.  
"Well done." said Xaldin dryly, with a slight smirk on his face. She looked into his grey eyes and saw a slight glint of approval there. Raixia shrugged, her eyes fading into a light blue color that was a blend of annoyance and leftover adreniline. "Whatever." she answered, tone dull and neutral. Without another word to the men she left, anger still sizzling.  
Her bouts of rage came more frequently now, coming and going without warning. Sometimes only little things would set her off, but other times she would have no emotion at all. She heard Axel's footsteps behind her but made no move to slow her brisk stride. She made her way to Xigbar's room from memory, and went in.

She shut the door behind her tightly, turning the deadbolt lock. She then stripped off her tight clothes, and slipped on a silk camisole to sleep in. She curled up on Xigbar's couch, burying herself under the thick blanket and pressing her face into the pillow. Hot tears pricked her eyes, threatening to break free. "I will not cry! I will not cry!" She chanted silently inside her mind. Everything that had happened was coming back now, to her childhood abuse, to her foster father's murder. She kept telling herself that he was a bastard, that he deserved to die, but her memories of her former life kept coming back. Flash: Raisa's face as they played in the sandbox at school. Flick: her foster father's knife sinking into the flesh of her shoulder. She could see the mangled scar tissue on her shoulder in her mind's eye, and she was ashamed. She would never be able to wear a tank top,or a dress. Instantly she scolded herself. She had no need for the dresses she used to wear now. There was no need to mourn such a stupid thing. But the tears came anyway, the ones that had been pent up for so long. Her body shook with silent sobs that she tried hard to stop. Her efforts were in vain. The ice shell that she had worked so hard to build over herself had cracked for the moment, letting out the weak insides that she had hidden for so long. She curled up into a ball, and cried herself out.  
When she was done she found that she was utterly exhausted.  
She got up, went into Xigbar's bathroom, and washed her tear-stained face with cold water. She dried her face, then dug around in her backpack for her I-pod. She found it, slid on her noise canceling headphones, cranked her volume up to max, then went to sleep.


	4. Man On Fire

Someone shook Raixia out of her warm, safe place filled with the screaming of metal. her eyes snapped open and she saw Xigbar grinning lazily. His lips moved, but her music drowned out his words.  
And that was the way Raixia wanted it.  
She pulled her blanket over her head, snuggling back into her pillow and blanket. After a moment she thought that Xigbar had given up.  
Then her blanket was ripped off her body, and her pillow yanked out from under her head. She snarled and ripped off her headphones, greeted with the sound of Xigbar's chuckle. "Fuck you! let me sleep!!" She growled. Xigbar's eyes flickered down her body, and at that moment Raixia remembered that she was wearing nothing but a thigh length camisole and her undergarments. she yanked the blanket back over her, but didn't attempt to go back to sleep.  
"It's past noon. The Superior has a job for Axel and he requested that you go along." Raixia let out a tired groan, and rolled over, pressing her face into her pillow. "Fuck." she protested, wishing that she could just sleep for the rest of the day. "Fine. I'm up. do i get time to take a shower or are you going to stand there and watch?" She looked up and saw Xigbar grin. "Now that you mention it....." She smiled. "Get out so i can get dressed, fuckin' perv. Axel was right. You ARE gonna molest me in my sleep." Xigbar chuckled, messed up her already messed up hair, and teleported out. She wondered vaguely if EVERYONE at the mansion would screw with her hair. she hoped not.  
One hot shower and some semi-fresh clothes later Raixia was feeling she skipped breakfast so she could meet up with Axel at the backdoor, her stomach was protesting viciously. She yawned, and brushed off her tight leggings and almost knee length long sleeved shirt. She was running out of clothes, and decided that if Xemnas gave out paychecks and let her stay, that she'd sneak out and buy herself a new wardrobe. She realized days ago that she could never tap into her old bank accounts again. They would probably be transferred to Raisa's, now that Raixia was supposed to be dead. "And so she's finally wakes up. For a couple of minutes i thought I'D have to wake you up myself."  
Axel was waiting by one of the back entrances near the library, in his usual black with his laze grin on his face. She scowled at him. "Whatever. Do we have a job, or what?" Axel pretended to be hurt by her words. "Ouch, Raixia. you get right to the point, don't you?" Raixia then realized what a Bitch she had sounded like, and frowned. "Sorry." she apologized, feeling guilty for taking out her annoyance on him. She averted her eyes, choosing to look at the cracks in the marble flooring instead.  
Then she was crushed into a tight hug, so suddenly that she let out a muffled squeak of surprise. "Axel?" She was enveloped in strong, warm arms, that seemed so comforting and safe. It was too bad that everything that seemed safe was just a Ruse.  
He held her tightly, and after a moment of shock she slid her arms around his waist, and hugged back.  
They stood there together for a long moment, until someone coughed loudly and obviously nearby. Axel seemed to let her go reluctantly, and she stepped back, a hot blush spreading across her cheeks. "Don't you two have something to do?" asked Lexeaus, a slight, knowing smile on his face. "Yep!" answered Axel cheerfully. "Thanks for reminding us!" Without another word, Axel and Raixia left out the backdoor, Lexeaus chuckling faintly behind them in amusement.  
"So what are we doing?"  
They had taken one of the Organization's many cars; this one was painted a dark red, with a killer sound system and weapons stored in places that Raixia never knew could hide a gun and/or a knife. The seats were black leather, and smelt faintly of smoke. "First we're stocking up on explosives. Xemnas's stock is almost empty, and it's always good to have a few pipe bombs on hand." He answered. She nodded. Gangs like the Organization would have need of bombs, for distractions, attention and other things of the like. "You said first. Does that mean you have a list going?" Axel looked at her and grinned. "Hell yes. I have quite a day planned for you, n00bie. so just sit back and relax."  
They drove until they were well in the ghetto part of the city, and parked in the back parking lot of a bar. Just as Raixia reached out to open her door, someone knocked on her window. She jumped, and Axel laughed. "RELAX!" he said. "It's just Rude." Raixia looked at him like he had grown a second head. "A friend of mine. c'mon, get out." Raixia unbuckled her seat belt and exited the care, stepping over a half broken bottle in her path. The parking lot was filled with other cars, and littered with trash. A tall, bald, muscular man wearing dark shades was leaning against a truck parked beside Axel's car, watching her. "Hey, Rude. What's Reno up to?" Axel greeted the man warmly, like he was an old friend. Raixia moved to stand beside Axel, eyeing the other man warily. The man called Rude smiled.  
"The usual. Who's the girl?" Axel's arm snaked around her waist, and held her tightly. "This is Raixia." Raixia gave Rude a nod. "hey." she said in greeting. Rude nodded back. "She's kind of small, don't you think?" Raixia blushed. Axel just leered. "If i were you i'd shut up, Rude. She has quite the temper." Rude laughed, and the three of them went around into a back entrance.  
"Man On Fire. Do i want to know?" Raixia, Axel and Rude were in the back room of Axel's friend's bar, waiting for him to show. The bar was named Man On Fire, and right away Raixia knew where Axel had picked up his fire obsession.  
"No, you don't" answered a deeper voice. a man entered the room. He was tall like Axel, with long, red, spiky hair, and black tattoos similar to axel's at his temples. He looked Raixia up and down, and gave her a grin that was almost identical to Axel's. "You brought me a pretty one this time, Axel. Who is she?" Axel sauntered over to Raixia, and threw an arm around her shoulders possessively. "Sorry Reno. I got to her first." Reno chuckled, and messed up Axel's hair. Axel batted his hand away playfuly, and Raixia watched with a smile on her face in comfortable silence. "This is Raixia. Raixia, this is my buddy, Reno. He's known me since i was just a punk on the streets, before i got involved with the Organization, and before he got in with the Turks." Reno chuckled. "You better believe it! I've known Axel since he was just a punk scrapper on the streets. You hurt him in any way, and i'll kill you." Raixia shivered, knowing that a man like Reno meant the threat. But she smiled politely, and nodded. "Good. now that we've got that out of the way, how long have you been sleeping with my brother?" Raixia's face grew scarlet with shock and embarrassment, and her eyes grew wide. She gave Axel her fiercest glare, one that usual made grown men piss their pants. But Axel was unruffled, by both her stare and Reno's question. "Aww, Reno, look! you made her blush!" Raixia looked away, and tried to stop blushing. Reno reached over and messed up her hair.  
"Hey i was just messin' with you, kid. I just wanted to know how long you've known Axel. From the way he talks about you, you've known each other for months." Raixia snorted. "It's been a few days, not months." She turned to Axel. "What kind of drugs are you on, and where can i get some for me?" Reno laughed, and Axel soon joined in. "Did you come on business, or did you just come to bullshit with me?" Asked Reno when they were quiet and composed. Axel seemed to remember that they had things to do for the Organization, and sobered up. "Oh, yeah. I need a few boxes of your best pipe bombs."  
Raixia and Axel left the bar an hour later with three boxes filled with explosives, placed safely in the hidden bottom of the car's trunk. Axel started up the car in friendly silence, and started to drive. Raixia toyed with a loose thread on her jeans, and looked up at Axel. "Well that was....enlightening." she said. Axel grinned, and increased their speed. "What's next on the list?" She was feeling tired already, and was fantasizing about Xigbar's couch back at the Mansion. "Actually, we're done with Organization business." he answered, with a sly, mischievous smile. Raixia recognized it as his Up-To-No-Good smile, and knew that something was up. "But...?" she prompted, crossing her arms and shooting him a suspicious look. "Hey, you should already know that I'm immune to your glares Raixia. And for your information, i'm taking you shopping." He saw the protesting look on her face, and before she could open her mouth he put his free hand over it. "Shush. No arguing. i'm buying you clothes and that's it. and if you don't pick anything out, you can just wear what i choose." he punctuated his threat with a leer, and Raixia, filled with horrific visions of skimpy skirts and maid outfits, gave in and shut up. Axel chuckled. "not going to argue this time, eh?" Raixia stuck her tongue out at him, and to her shock he leaned in, and licked it.  
"EWWWW! Axel, that's disgusting! you suck!" Raixia made a face, and punched him hard on the arm. He just laughed again. "Hey, it's your falt for sticking it out. that was basically an invitation. you got what you deserved." She scowled, turned, and looked away from him and out the window. They were out of the ghetto in a slightly better part of town, filled with brick shops. It was still urban, though cleaner and brighter. After a while Axel pulled into the parking lot of a shop with blacked out windows, and shut the car off. "Aww, Raixia, you aren't mad at me are you? i was just playing around. c'mon get out." She undid her seat belt, and exited the car. The gravel of the parking lot crunched under her boots, as she made her way to the front of the car where Axel was looked at him, and forgot her anger instantly. His emerald green eyes were lighter, with flickering flames illuminated by the bright sunlight. She could see a hint of his well pronoucned muscles beneath his tight, white wife beater that peeked out though his black leather jacket. "I won't be mad if you give me a hug." she said stubbornly, crossing her arms. "But i want to let you know that you'll be bored all day, just watching me try on cloathes." Axel opened his arms, and grinned. "Sounds like a good deal to me. C'mere, then." Raixia fit perfectly in his arms, as if they had been made to hold only her. She snuggled into his tight, warm hold, pressing her face into his shirt and breathing in his smokey, firey scent. she came up to almost his shoulder, and once again damned her shortness. But he was Perfect.  
He let go,his hands on her tiny waist, and she smiled up at him, itching for more then just a hug. He read the look in her eyes, and gave her another I'm-Up-To-No-Good smile. She leaned in, begging for a kiss. He removed his hands, and she pouted. "Hey, don't give me that look. You just said a hug, and i still get to buy you cloathes. Now let's go in before i change my mind." Raixia muttered a few obseneties under her breath, and followed him into the shop.  
Axel couldn't have made a better choice for their first stop. The shop was filled with racks of Gothic outfits, both extravagant and made for practical use, along with shoes, accesories, and even a lingirae section. He caught her looking, and smiled smugly. "I knew i picked the right place. see anything you like?" She smiled back, this time realived. "Yup. and i'm thinking that i might even let you choose a few things for me." she teased, tugging a lock of his hair. Axel wrapped a strong arm around her waist, and returned her smile with a lusty one. "Oh, the possibilities."  
Raixia browsed each rack with Axel following close behind, so close that she could feel the heat of his body at her first she chose tough pairs of black jeans, tank tops, modest but Gothic shirts and a jacket. But Axel coaxed in a few snug corset tops, two leather jackets, and tight pants that were riddled with zippers and chains. On the way to the changing room, (Which was actually just a back room converted to make one) She pretended not to notice the lace and satin corset that he slipped into her armful of clothes, paired with a matching skirt. They left the store with three large black bags, but Axel claimed that they were only getting started. Raixia, who was starting to slightly enjoy herself, slipped on one of her new jackets, and went through the rest of the day patiently. She let Axel take her to two more stores, where she got fitted for a few of the hooded leather trench coats that all members of the Organization wore. That was the only time she had argued with him the entire day. She thought that it would be a waste, if she didn't get accepted into the Organization. Axel only gave her a serious look and said, "You'll be accepted. Trust me." She only gazed at a case of jewelery, and admired a simple pendant that was just a teardrop of a sparkling, red gem that she could not identify.  
They returned to the Mansion at dusk, with Raixia carrying her bags and Axel the box of pipe bombs. They used a back entrance to get in, and Raixia wondered if they really had permission to stay out the whole day. She yawned, and snuck into Xigbar's room, shoving her many bags behind the couch she had been sleeping on. She found her I-pod and headphones stuffed in her backpack and grabbed them, heading for the library. To her great relief the mansion's library was empty of any Organization members. She sighed in joy as she browsed the shelves and grabbed a few of the spell books that Xigbar had told her to read, along with a few books on healing that caught her eye. When she had a good sized stack of them she settled into a comfy arm chair beside the library's fireplace, which had a small but dying fire crackling in it. She slid on her headphones, cranked up the volume, and started to read.


	5. Nocturne

A week later she was in the shooting range, trying out a shotgun that Xigbar had modified. It had some sort of special silencer built in that he had asked her to test out. After a few squeezes of the large trigger a loud chime came from the speakers built into the range. She stopped shooting automatically, and un loaded the shotgun, pointing the barrel down. The chime was a signal to stop shooting, when someone else was entering the range. Raixia turned, to see Marluxia, the very man she had defeated the first day she had come to the mansion. She eyed him curiously, and set the shotgun on a weapon's rack. "Number One requests your presence in the round room."  
Raixia's heart dropped. This was it. A week had passed and now she would learn her fate. She wiped her hands on her jeans, and nodded. "Fine. i'll find my own way." She walked past him and out of the range, going down another corridor until she knew that she was completely alone. The she let herself start to tremble, and tried to scub out the gunpowder that was still sticking to her hands with a rag she kept tucked in her back pocket when she went to the range. When she got the last of it off of her hands, she headed towards the round room.  
It had been the room where she had met most of the Organization, where Axel had shown her that she had something else to live for. But this room could also be her undoing. Axel had promised that he would kill her if the Organization didn't want her, and she hoped that he would keep up to his promise. She made her way to the huge set of doors, and entered. The round room was exactly as she remembered it a week before, white, and slightly intimidating. Except this time, no thrones were filled save for the leader's. She stood directly in front of his throne, her face composed into a fearless mask. "I suspect you know why i have sent for you." he told her, in his deep, rumbling voice. Raixia smiled. "Of course. My week is up. And I suspect you have made a decision." She replied, in one of her more smart-assed tones. She folded her arms and met his eyes, refusing to look scared or weak in front of him. It felt sort of like facing up to the brawlers she used to fight in high school: if you blink, flinch, or cower, it's over. You loose. It isn't always about the fight, it's partly about the way you hold yourself. And Raixia held herself like a true badass would. Number One only smiled back.  
"Of course. The decision was an easy one. You'll get your Tattoo when you leave this room and move into the vacant room in the east wing of the mansion." Raixia let the shock show on her face for a long moment, and vaguely remembered that the east wing was where all the bedrooms were, save for the leader's. she nodded stiffly, and waited for him to dismiss her. "You will be number fifteen. i expect you to follow our rules and expect no leniency. You can leave now." Raixia couldn't believe it. Axel had been right. "Thank you." She replied nervously. Number One gave her a curt nod, dismissing her. "Have you thought about where you want it?"  
Raixia was sitting in Zexion's room, in a reclined chair. Zexion himself was standing over her with what looked like a nail gun with a needle. The small machine hummed, filled with the ink that would go into her skin. "Yeah." she answered, knowing exactly where she wanted it. In the week she had spent with the Organization, she had been through many things. She had been toughened up, and seen worse scars then the ones she bore herself. Xigbar and the other members had taught her to be proud of her scars, and now was the time do just that. She leaned up, and took off the loose band shirt she had been wearing, which she ad stolen from Axel. Zexion didn't even bat an eyelash at the sight of her well filled B cup bra. Instead, his eyes darted to the scar that started from the center of her left shoulder, and disappeared into her bra. "Here." she pointed to where the scar began, in the center of her scarred shoulder. "Solid black, lined with red, if you can do it." For a second, she thought that she saw Zexion smile. "Of course i can do it. Now sit back and don't move. This is going to sting."  
She left Zexion's room hours later with a sore, bandaged shoulder, and instructions to keep the tattoo clean. She was tired, and wanted desprately to just flop onto Xigbar's couch and sleep the rest of the day away. But of course, she had to move to her new room, and that meant lugging bags of clothes and the rest of her belongings down the hall. She made a pissed off, annoyed sound and grabbed her first three bags, and started her job. By the time she got all twelve bags into her room she found that she was no longer tired. Instead she busyed herself by hanging up all her clothes in her closet,and plugging in her laptop and I-pod. She eyed the white sheets and pillows on her bed with distaste, and decided that she would replace them soon with black ones. But for now, she would deal with it.  
She was about to give in to her impulse to sleep the night away when there was a loud knock on her door. She got up from her comfy spot on her bed, walked over to her door, and opened it. She opened it to find Axel, Demyx, Zexion, Xigbar, and Luxord in the hallway. Axel was grinning, and the others also looked satisfied. She raised an eyebrow,and looked at them, her eyes a clear blue of suspicion. "Get dressed, little girl. We're going out to celebrate your acceptance." Said Axel breezily. "You have five minutes before all of us break down your door and dress you in what we see fit." She looked at him dumbly for a long moment, and wondered if she was on some sort of drug. "Your five minutes start NOW." She slammed her door,and ran to her closet, making sure the lacy corset and miniskirt Axel had bought her were buried deeply in the back.  
Five minutes later Raixia came out of her room, greeting by low whistles and smirks from the other men. She had tugged on a pair of tight black jeans, and laced herself into a corset top that exposed her bandaged tattoo and fair cleavage. She had put her black eyeliner on thick, and brushed out her hair until it fell like a frost colored waterfall down her back. She had slipped on a leather jacket, and noticed that the other men had dressed for a night out. "Glad you like it." she told them, allowing herself a grin. "Wherever we're going better have a bar. it's been a long time since I've had a drink."  
Raixia's eyes adjusted to the dark as soon as they entered Nocturne, which, to her surprise, was a nightclub for the Underground. The place was huge; Raixia could spot a large bar that covered an entire wall, and a dance floor that could hold at least a few hundred people, and was already packed. The whole place shook with loud music that was being pumped through speakers. As she peered into the crowd she saw that Larxene and Marluxia had already claimed a few of the black leather couches that were scattered around the club. She turned to Axel, and gave him a wolfish grin. "Buy me a drink?"  
The thumping bass was pounding in her ears as she danced with Axel, slightly light headed from the shots she had done with Xigbar, Axel, Luxord and Demyx. Axel was behind her, his hands on her waist, encouraging her to grind her hips even harder into his. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Zexion and Demyx dancing the same way. Demyx tilted his head back for a kiss and received one, winking at her. Raixia saw his blissed out expression, and laughed. "Enjoying yourself?" purred Axel in her ear. He bit down on her earlobe softly, sending shivers down her spine. She tilted her head back as Demyx had done, and stole a kiss from Axel, one full of tongue and teeth. "Mmm." they let go and he licked his lips. "You taste good." Every inch of her was crackling with electricity, begging for another kiss. She looked over to where Xigbar and the others were. They waved her, Axel, Demyx and Zexion over, brandishing another trio of shots. She tugged on Axel's hand, and he spotted the drinks. They left the dance floor, and went over to join their comrades.  
"Betcha' can't do another!" challenged Demyx, who had downed another shot. Raixia smiled. She thought after seven shots she would start to feel drunk, but she only felt slightly buzzed. "Bet you i can." she retorted. Luxord, who she had met a few nights before, slid a blue shot glass across the table into her hand. "Yeah right! i bet you're so drunk that you can't even stand!" Raixia smiled. "Oh Really." She tipped back the glass, and swallowed. "I think i can hold my liquor better then you can." She set the empty glass on the table in front of the couches they were lounging on, and leaned into Axel, who sat beside her, drinking from a bottle of beer. She gazed out onto the dance foor where Marluxia and Larxene were, pressed together and dancing just as she and Axel had. "Huh. never knew she had a thing for Marluxia." she wondered out loud. Xigbar, who was drinking with Luxord on the couch across from them, grinned. "Oh yeah. i can always hear the two of them going at it during all hours of the night." Axel chuckled. "And if you ask me, She's on top." Raixia laughed, knowing that Larxene was a total control freak. Xigbar's grin turned into a leer. "What about you two? Who's in charge?" Raixia leaned foreword before Axel could stop her, an evil smile on her face. "HE likes to be WHIPPED." she told Xigbar, leering back. Xigbar and the other men started to laugh, deep rumbling chuckles that made her laugh along with them. Axel pulled her back into the circle of his arms, and bit her roughly on the neck. A hot combination of pain and ecstacy flared through her body, her heart beating faster like the thrum of a humming bird. "Bad girl. what happens in the bedroom stays in the bedroom." He scolded. She felt more light headed then ever, not because of the shots she had done, but from the stinging bite she had received. Their relationship was becoming more physical by the day, but she didn't know if she was ready for what lay ahead.  
She forced the thought away and let Axel hold her, and swiped his beer. She took a long drink out of the glass bottle and handed it back to him with an innocent smile, one that she knew he couldn't resist. "So are you gonna let us see your tattoo, or what?" asked Demyx, in his careless, pushy way that was amplified by the alcohol he had consumed. Raixia looked at the other men, who also seemed to be curious. She broke free of Axel's arms and leaned foreword, peeling back the large square of gause that Zexion had taped over it. "I wanted to put it on part of my scar, so i'd never forget what made me come to The Underground. I also wanted to show that bastard who gave it to me that i'm not some weak little girl anymore. He's burning in hell as we speak, courtesy of Axel, Dem, Vexen and Zexion." She said, letting the men admire the XV that was tattooed in red and black ink at the start of ragged scar tissue. "How far does the scar go?" questioned Xigbar. She had seen a particularly bad scar on his back once, when she had stayed in his room. He had gotten it from an explosion five years before, and let her take a closer look, so she decided to answer his question. "Down to my right side, close to my ribs." she answered, a little uneasily. Just then Marluxia and Larxene came back from the dance floor, bringing with them a sobering, serious warning.  
"we've got trouble outside. It's the Heartless again."  
Everyone seemed to rise at the same time, their careless expressions turning into annoyed, pissed off ones. Raixia, who knew vaugly about the Organization's enemy gang, Heartless, decided that this was definatly not good. she got up with the men and Larxene, and followed them outside into a back alley.  
The rest was a blur.  
There were a gang of heartless dressed in a uniform of black and red jackets, waiting in the alley. As soon as they spotted their enemy gang the Heartless instantly pulled out weapons, and lunged. Raixia's weapon arm snapped out in a moment of pure instinct and there was a flash of light. Then she felt the comfortable, cold metal weight of her Glaive in her hand, blade extended and ready for battle. Without another ratinal thought she charged forward with her comrades, fearless and intent on protecting them. The blade of her weapon cut through flesh and bone like a hot knife through butter, as she stabbed brutaly at several of the Heartless men that dared to be in her striking range. She saw Axel summon his chakrams in a burst of flames, slicing into enemies and charring their flesh. Xigbar shot down a man who got to close to her bind spot at the small of her back, and she saw Larxene backing up Demyx, who was bent over his sitar, summoning water clones that thrashed their enemies. She was filled with the fighter's adrenaline that she had craved from her old days as a high school brawler, when she fought boy after boy until she though she would pass out from exhaustion. It made her light on her feet, filled with a hot sun of power that felt like it would never, ever run out. She did not cringe as she killed another man who dared to try and attack Marluxia when his back was turned. She felt only a twinge of remorse when he fell to the floor, his life extinguished. He had tried to kill one of her comrades, and now that she was a part of The Organization, she would fight for them. She would fight now that she was a part of something.  
Suddenly, just when she thought that The Heartless were starting to retreat, she heard a soft, famillar curse that made every hair on the back of her neck stand on end. She slayed a man who cut at her from the side, and rushed to where the sound originated. "Raixia! Help Axel! let Marluxia and Zexion finish them off!" commanded Xigbar, who was taking on a group of men. Her mind raced as she pushed her way through Larxene, Demyx, and Luxord, who were crowded over someone, protecting him.  
Not just anyone.  
Axel.  
She sucked in a painful breath, feeling light and dizzy.  
No!  
This was not happening!  
She fell to her knees at his side, barely registering the pain caused by her hard contact with the rough asphalt. She saw his hands, calloused from fire and wielding his chakrams, pressed over his stomach. dark red pulsed out from his fingers, and his eyes, which had always been filled with green fire, were flickering.  
Almost like an ember smouldering before going out.  
"Axel!" she cried, almost unable to speak with the lump that had formed in her throat. His eyes, which had closed to almost slits, snapped open. She pressed her hands over his to try to stop his bleeding, feeling her eyes burn with unshead tears. "Rai" he rasped, taking one of her hands. It was slick with blood, and she tried to hold on tight to it. "I'm here, Axel. You better not fucking die on me you son of a bitch." she swore, crushing her hand even tighter around his. She felt something cold dig into her palm, and he let go. The red teardrop sat in her palm, covered in blood, the black shine on the chain now rust colored. It was the necklace she had admired when he had taken her shopping. That day seemed years and years ago, so far away. She looked to him, and let a tear fall and slide down her cheek. "Don't....cry Raixia. Toughen up." he cracked a smile, and she saw his white teeth stained pink. She pressed her hands back on his wound, the necklace wrapped around her wrist. "Don't tell me not to fucking cry Axel! if you fucking leave me i'm going to kill myself and kick your ass when i see you in hell!" she promised him, pressing tighter, covering herself in his hot blood. "I swear to whatever god exists that i'll fucking torture you in the damn afterlife! Stay with us! Stay with me!" Axel's breath rattled in his chest, and her blood ran cold.  
No.  
Not the death rattle.  
Don't die.  
please, please don't die.  
"You gave me my reason for living. You can't leave! Don't leave!" She pleaded, seeing the light leave his eyes. Something hot in her heart burned, and as the last breath left his body, she fell on his chest and sobbed.  
Then something in her exploded.  
The whole alley was consumed with a bright, hot, light that flowed from her hands and skin into her fallen comrade, filling him with a healing energy. Raixia could see everything, and watched as the deep wound in Axel's stomach started to knit back together, the tan skin growing, until only a long, jagged scar remained of the wound. The light faded, leaving behind only a faint glow in her eyes that lasted only a moment. Her world spun in circles, as she felt weak, and exhausted. She could feel the steady rise and fall of Axel's chest, as his breathing slipped back to normal. She was slipping into unconsciousness, hearing a background of voices far away. "Raixia! what the fuck?!" her lips parted before she fell into oblivion, and she uttered one sentence before passing out.  
"Now we're even."


	6. The Healer

She woke up with a pounding headache and a craving for the loudest death metal she had on her I-pod. She peeled open her eyes and sat up, cursing loudly when the room started spinning like a Mary-go-round on crack. "Hey, get Vexen. She's finally awake." She saw Xigbar standing over her bed, and she blinked to clear her blurry vision. Her mouth was as dry as cotton and she wished for a drink of water. "Hey there little dude. Have a nice nap?" he teased. Raixia let out an annoyed groan. "On yeah, sure, if you like a coma once in a while. How long was I out?" Xigbar handed her a glass of water, which she snatched out of his hand and chugged down. "Three days." he answered cheerily. Her eyes went wide. "What the HELL! What happened?" Xigbar sat down in the chair that had been placed beside her bed. "Why don't you tell me how much you remember?" Raixia closed her eyes, and thought hard. "We went to Nocturne. Went out into the back alley when Marluxia and Larxene spotted The Heartless back there. We fought and......." She paused, looking over the memories of that night. "Axel got stabbed. That's all I remember."

Xigbar gave her a long, weird look that was filled with pride.

"What?! What is it? Where's Axel? Is he dead?!"

Xigbar grinned.

"He almost died. You healed him. You found your magic."

He pointed at her. "You," he started, messing up her hair. "Are a healer. The Organization's only member who has ever developed healing power."

Her jaw dropped, and at that moment, Vexen swept into the room carrying his med kit.

"So the foolish girl has finally woken up. That was a stupid stunt you pulled back there." he said coldly, sitting on her bed near her and opening his kit. "Get bent, frosty." she shot back, but with a smile. Vexen loaded up a syringe. "Oh, cranky after waking up from a coma. That's what you get for over using your magic. Do it again and you'll die." Before she could say something back he grabbed her wrist with lightning speed, and injected a blue substance into one of her veins. He stuck a bandage over the needle prick, and she yanked out of his hold. "What the hell did you give me?" She rubbed her sore wrist, and glared at him darkly. Vexen gave her a dry, icy smile. "Just something to restore your energy, and replace the vitamins and chemicals you lost during the healing. I could have given you the drinkable serum, but the injection works faster." he closed his kit, and got up. Raixia locked eyes with him. "Thanks." She told him, as he was halfway out of her room. Vexen stopped, and looked back at her. "If you want to thank me, then try to not get yourself killed next time. I'm tired of cleaning up after all of you."

The scientist left, and Raixia frowned. Xigbar patted her head. "That's Vexen's way of saying don't mention it." Raixia threw back her covers, and tried to stand. She felt dizzy but the room had stopped spinning, and was only faded at the edges. Xigbar stood up, and tried to help her. "No thanks. I can walk on my own." Xigbar shrugged, and watched as she walked slowly out of the room and out into the hallway.

She slipped silently into Axel's dark room, finding her way over to the large bed covered in black and crimson sheets. She could see Axel's form beneath the sheets, and padded quietly over. She slid into his bed, close to the sleeping Axel, hesitant to wake him up. "Mmm....Raixia?" She froze, and held her breath, startled by his voice husky with sleep. She saw his eyes open, the fire in them blazing. "Axel.....Oh god, Axel." He reached out and enveloped her in a bone crushing hug, pulling her to his chest as if he would never let go. She stayed curled up against him for a long time, resting her head in the curve of his neck. She inhaled his scent, a mixture of smoke, fire, and musk. She rubbed her cheek against his bare flesh, and tangled her hands into Axel's rough, spiky hair. "Axel Axel Axel." She murmured, almost like a prayer. She lifted her head up, and gazed into his eyes. She caressed his cheek with one hand, as if she were making sure he was real. He leaned in, and pressed his lips to her's, slipping his hot tongue into her mouth and teasing her own with it. She pulled hard on his hair and he growled deep in his throat, pulling her even closer, grinding his body into her curves. They broke off the kiss for air, both of them panting shallowly; still clinging to each other like their lives depended on it.

Someone started to bang hard on Axel's door, and she flinched.

"Raixia! The superior wants to see you in his study immediately." came the muffled voice of Zexion. Axel let out a string of curses, and she pressed a finger to his lips. "Shhh. I'll be back. You can even come with me if you want." Axel kissed her finger, his lips soft as velvet on her skin. She removed the finger and he kissed her again, this time softly, slowly, almost lazily. "Now, Raixia!" Zexion called impatiently. She broke off the kiss with an annoyed sound, tracing the hard muscles of his chest with her hands. "We should probably get up before the superior gets his panties in a knot." Said Axel, with a heated grin. She sighed, her hands moving lower. Axel shivered, His head tilting back, as her fingers skimmed lightly over his skin, feather light. When she found the scar on his lower stomach she froze, and squeezed her eyes shut. Suddenly, in her mind, she could see herself crying over his body, then a flash of healing light that closed the wound.

"I remember." She whispered, feeling the jagged scar that was slashed horizontally below his naval. "I couldn't before, but now I'm starting to remember." She ripped the bandage off her wrist, and felt for the needle mark. It was gone. She had healed it without even noticing.

Right away she knew that the instant healing was NOT a good thing.

She sat up, running a hand through her hair, dazed. Something on her wrist snagged on a lock of her hair, and she winced. She un tangled it, and saw that the necklace Axel had given her that night was still wrapped around her wrist. Axel came up from behind her, and slid it off. She started to protest, but fell silent when he clasped it around her neck instead. The red teardrop rested at the hollow her throat, warmed with an inner fire. His arms wrapped around her waist and she leaned in, sighing, breathing in the fire/ozone/musk smell that was Axel. "C'mon, before Zexion breaks down the door." he murmured into her ear. She gave in, and let him help her stand, stretching out her sore muscles. She looked down, and saw that someone had washed the blood from her skin and dressed her in loose jeans and a plain black shirt. She wondered slightly who had taken care of her while she had been out, but her musings were forgotten as Axel opened the door, revealing an agitated Zexion.

"Took you long enough." he said, as they walked up a flight of stairs and down a hallway she had never been in before. "The Superior wanted to see only you, Raixia." Raixia looked to Zexion and shrugged. "Whatever. What does he want, anyway?" Zexion stopped at a door, and shook his head. "It's not for me to say. Axel can show you the way back." without another word Zexion disappeared in a whorl of darkness, gone. Axel leaned against the wall, still shirtless. "And still very, very sexy." she thought to herself. She gave him a sad, slight smile, and knocked softly on the door.

"Enter." rumbled the voice of Number One. Raixia let herself in, taking a deep breath, trying to calm herself. Number One, who she knew by no other name then his number, was seated in an armchair in front of a large, roaring fireplace. His study held large shelves full of books and shelves, and a few desks with stacks of papers on them. He motioned to the chair across from him. "Sit." he said, not quite a command but with hard order in the tone all the same. She hesitated, but they did as she was told, the warm glow of the fire giving her skin an almost amber coloring. She folded her arms and looked into the fire, slightly comforted by the warmth it gave off. "I have been given the reports concerning the incident three nights ago." He started, looking her directly in eyes, as her's seemed to flicker between somber blues and grays. "But I want to hear your report so that I will be sure of which action to take concerning the circumstances. Tell me everything that happened that night. Leave nothing out."

Raixia's eyes turned a pure, marbled grey. "I do not remember everything.....Sir." She replied unsure of how to address him. "My memory of that night is somewhat in pieces. It is slowly coming back, but.......I believe I am unable to give you the details you need." She unfolded her arms and laced her fingers together, resting them on her lap. She felt ashamed that she could not remember everything that had happened, and slightly agitated that she did not understand most of what she remembered. To her surprise, Number One was not angry at all, as she had expected him to be.

"Just tell me what you remember, Raixia." he told her, almost gently. Raixia closed her eyes, and tried to sort through all of the fragments of memory she had recovered. She took long, deep, even breaths and tried to concentrate, thinking back to three nights ago.

"We were at Nocturne." she began, slowly, trying not to miss any important details. "And some Heartless were spotted outside, so we decided to see what was going on. We went out and they attacked us. We had dispatched most of them when Axel was stabbed." She clenched her hands tighter together, remembering the unbearable terror that had taken hold of her heart at that time, and squeezed. "Go on." he encouraged her, leaning forward and placing a heavy hand on her shoulder. Her eyes went wide at the contact, but she nodded. "One of the Heartless had stabbed him in the stomach. It was a deep wound and he was bleeding out. We thought he didn't have much time left. Demyx, Larxene, and Luxord were standing over him, protecting him, while the others finished off the remaining Heartless. Xigbar told me to go to him. He is my senior, so I listened." She looked at him, as if she were pleading with her eyes to stop. Number One only waited for her to finish. "I knelt and tried to stop the bleeding. I told him to fight it, but he was fading. I could see the light leave his eyes. When I thought he had died, I threw myself over him, upset. And then....." She opened her eyes, and held her head in her hands. "You are doing well, Raixia." said Number One, in a soothing, soft tone that did not seem to agree with his thundering, commanding voice. "It is almost over. Try to think, child. Concentrate."

Then she could see it in her mind, everything that had happened. She removed her hands from her face, and gazed at him. "And then there was this light that came from me. It was powerful, the strongest thing I have ever felt before. It sank into Axel's skin, and I watched the wound heal, until all that was left of it was a scar. The light faded, along with my strength. I woke up in the Mansion. That is all I remember."

Number One wore a now unreadable look, one that made Raixia more nervous by the minute. Then there was a small smile on his face, and he put his other hand on her shoulder, turning her in his direction. "Then it is as I thought. You are a healer." She felt a rush of relief enter her veins, a cooling sensation that made almost all of her anxiety go away. From the look on One's face, she thought that something was seriously wrong with her. She let out a relived sigh, and managed a slight smile. "I'm healing quickly on my own, um......" Once again Raixia did not know her leaders name. "Xemnas will do." Raixia nodded. "Xemnas. Vexen gave me some sort of shot, and the needle mark healed very quickly." For a moment she thought she saw something flash in Xemnas's eyes, but only for a second. She told herself it was just the glow of the fire light, and awaited his response. "That is normal. Your magic will adjust in time, once you learn to gain control. I will have Two instruct you. I take it you both get along?" She nodded. "Yes, sir." inside her mind, she added, "When he's not looking to molest me in my sleep." Xemnas let go of her, and leaned back in his arm chair. "He will teach you." He looked back into the fire, his silver hair almost glowing. "You are dismissed, Fifteen."

The next day she went out on an assignment with Xigbar and Luxord, to retrieve a hefty debt from a Casino owner in the rich part of the city. They went above ground and for the first time, Raixia felt like a real member of The Organization. She had her tattoo, her healing magic that she was to learning control, and she could summon her weapon.

She was one of them.

She tugged up the hood of her Organization coat as they snuck through a back alley, a small magnum .98 tucked snugly in her pocket for extra protection and easy access. It was a gift from Xigbar, and had her XV engraved on the barrel. "Go in first. You're smaller and easier to dismiss." instructed her senior, pushing her slightly forward near the door. Luxord, who was an excellent sleight of hand and master lock picker, had already picked the lock. Raixia did as she was told and opened the door, stepping into a well lit break room, probably for the Casino staff. Fortunately, it was empty, and she motioned the other two men inside. They exited the break room into a large hallway, spotting a silver elevator at the end of the hall. They made their way over to it, their boots making almost no sound on the tiled flooring."That should lead to the penthouse." murmured Luxord, pressing the button. The silver doors opened and the three Organization members stepped inside. There was no button on the inside reading Penthouse, but there was a card key reader that when used would take them to their desired suite. Xigbar pulled out a small, gold colored card, and slid it into the small machine. It gave a loud beep, and spat the card back out. Then the elevator was moving up, and Raixia slipped her had into her pocket, soothed by the cold, dangerous metal that was tucked within.

Their target was in the living area with two women dressed in slinky skirts and halter tops, drinking and laughing loudly. Xigbar grabbed her and Luxord by the arm, hard. "Hold your breath." he whispered to her. She opened her mouth to ask why, but was suddenly thrown into a suffocating darkness. Then she was standing in front of the man and two women, who stopped in mid laugh, their mouths open to scream. Xigbar clapped a hand over the man's mouth, and pressed one of his guns to his temple. Raixia silenced the other women, and knocked them out, locking them in the master bedroom of the large suite. When she returned to stand beside Luxord and Xigbar, the man was shaking, obviously scared out of his mind. He was an older man in his thirties, dressed in an expensive silk suit. Xigbar pulled the gun's hammer back, and the man flinched. "You scream, I shoot." warned Xigbar, putting more pressure on the gun. "Got it?" The man nodded wildly, and Xigbar removed his gloved hand. "Wh-What do you want with me?!" he stuttered, looking for a way to escape. Xigbar chuckled, and Luxord pulled a card from his pocket, fiddling with it. The man's eyes darted between the card and Luxord, as if he were afraid of it. "You owe the Organization a debt, Darq." Xigbar told him, his single yellow eyes glinting with malice. "You tried to run. Now you either pay up, or you die and we get it anyway." The man called Darq's eyes went even wider in terror, and he started to sweat. He tried to squirm away from Xigbar's gun, to get out of his range. "Fifteen. Restrain him." Raixia darted forward, taking hold of Darq, jerking him into a standing position and twisting his arms painfully behind his back. The man tried to let out a yell of pain, but Xigbar silenced him by removing the gun and putting a silencer on it "So are you going to pay up? Or do we have to persuade you?" To add some extra threat to Xigbar's question Raixia tightened her hold, causing a bone to crack and for Darq to gasp in pain. Xigbar pointed his gun at Darq's temple once more with a casual smile.

"All right! I give in! I give in! Just call off your friend!" Raixia looked over to Xigbar, who gave her an approving nod. She released Darq, whose left arm hung at a crooked angle. She had broken his arm just as easily as one might snap a toothpick in half. "The money's in the bedroom under the bed. Take it and leave!" Luxord left to the bedroom where Raixia had put the women, while Xigbar continued to watch Darq carefully, looking for any possible lie, threat, or betrayal. Raixia looked at Darq with an amused smile. It had been so easy to break one of his limbs; was this strength something that came with her magic? She decided that perhaps it had made her a little stronger and perhaps a bit scarier. Darq was looking fearfully at her, watching her every movement, as if she would snap his neck the moment his back was turned.

Luxord finally came back; taking with him a large metal briefcase that she was sure was filled with whatever Darq owed the organization. Xigbar lowered his gun, and gave Darq a serious, terrifying look. "The next time that you decide to run will be your last. We'll be in touch, Darq." Raixia gave Darq a grin from under her hood that made the man whimper. Xigbar grabbed her and Luxord by the arms, and she took a deep breath before being thrown into the dark tunnel that was Xigbar's teleportation.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to that." She remarked, as her feet hit solid ground where Xigbar had left their car. She cracked her neck; annoyed at the stiffness teleportation gave her muscles. Luxord gave her a strange look. "The threatening and limb breaking? If you don't like it then why join?" Raixia rolled her eyes, and opened the car's door, sliding into the back seat. "Not that, you idiot. I meant Xigbar's teleportation. The limb breaking and threatening the fun part." Once they were all in the car and well on their way to the Mansion, Raixia pulled out her I-Pod, and put in her ear buds, leaning back in her seat and listening to one of the random songs that had popped up when she pressed "Shuffle" She kept the volume low, in case Xigbar or Luxord had anything to say to her. The three talked back and forth about guns and explosives, complaining lightly about Xemnas's strictness with explosives and fights with enemy gangs.

After an hour they reached the Mansion, tired but satisfied with the success of their mission. Raixia threw her hood back the moment they entered the mansion, tousling her hair and intent on sleeping off the rest of her day in her room or Axel's. She climbed the stairs to the second floor, and made her way to her room, stripping off her organization coat as she opened the door and stepped in. She kicked her door shut, and threw her coat on her bed, bending down and unlacing her boots. She tugged them off, slipping off her shirt and jeans before flopping onto her bed, throwing her coat on the floor and burying herself under her blankets. They were alien to her, soft but still stiff and new, unlike the worn black sheets back at what she used to call 'home.'

She longed for the fire and musk scent that was Axel.

She was drifting into a half sleep well into the night when her door opened slowly and quietly, shutting with almost no sound at all. She stirred, sighing in her sleep, cold under her white sheets that held no comfort for her. Soft footsteps made their way over to her bed, and she could feel the familiar warmth of her favorite arsonist wash over her as he slipped into her bed. Raixia inhaled his scent, rolling over and resting her head against his bare chest, into the spot where she fit exactly. Axel wrapped his arms around her, and soon the both of them fell into a deep sleep.


	7. Poison

"Concentrate, Raixia. Just breathe, and focus the light."

Raixia was bent over Xigbar's bleeding arm, eyes closed and trying to heal a shallow slice on his arm. She squeezed her eyes shut and gritted her teeth as her hands began to glow white, trying to keep all of her energy from flowing into Xigbar. She felt his skin knit back together, until all that was left was a tiny pale scar that barely showed. "That's enough." Xigbar told her, breaking her concentration. "You did pretty well, but you always over do it. You have to learn to stop using so much." Raixia let out the breath she had been holding, and accepted the small vial of blue Ether that Xigbar offered her. She removed the cap and chugged it down, feeling the potion restore most of her magic that she had used to heal him with. "I know. I'm starting to learn how to control how much I use, but it's hard." She replied. They were in the library, and she sat back in her chair, feeling slightly dizzy. Magic lessons with Xigbar were becoming harder, especially since Xemnas had ordered her to learn how to control her magic before ever using it on the battle field again. "We can't have you passing out when we need you in the fight. You're one of us now." Her eyes turned a dark blue in slight irritation and pride. "Yeah, Yeah. I'll work on it. I'm almost there." Xigbar shook his head. "You can't even teleport yet. We still have a lot of work to do before Xemnas sends you out on real missions." She folded her arms. "So teach me, Oh master of teleportation. I'll learn." Xigbar grinned, and clapped her on the shoulder. "That's what I like about you, kid. Stubborn. Get up and we'll start."

She left the library with a pounding headache, but also with satisfaction. With Xigbar's help she had been able to teleport herself a few inches away from him, which was, by Xigbar's standards, a very good start. To celebrate her success she raided the kitchen's fridge, and then snuck out of the Mansion to do something about her annoyingly white room.

When she came back she was greeted by a scowling Saiix, who had obviously noticed her missing presence in the Mansion and decided to seek her out when she tried to sneak back in. He glared at her with piercing eyes; she had discovered quickly that Saiix had a connection to Xemnas, and she saw him kissing ass on a regular basis. She had no respect for him, and chose to avoid him most of the time, unless she was bored and there was no one else to mess with.

Nevertheless, he caught her by the arm as she slipped through Vexen's open lab window, which was actually the basement. She nearly dropped her backpack, which she had stuffed with the various things she had bought for herself while she was out. She jumped down from the window and jerked out of his hold, meeting his glare with a scary one of her own. Saiix didn't flinch like most did, but instead intensified his gaze. "The Superior sent for you quite a while ago, and I was unable to locate you. I do not recall anyone giving you permission to leave the Mansion." Raixia continued to glare, but felt slightly intimidated. "I don't think I need anyone's damn permission to step out for a few hours. And the next time you lay your hands on me will be your last, Superior's bitch or not." For a moment, she thought she heard something crack.

That was actually Saiix's last nerve snapping.

With red eyes and a homicidal aura he grabbed her roughly by the throat, and held her about a foot above the ground. Raixia's breath was immediately cut off and she choked, kicking and thrashing to try and get out of Saiix's crushing hold. She dropped her backpack and dug her nails into his wrist, trying to break his hold. But Saiix's vise-like fingers only tightened, and she gave up, letting her arms fall limply to her sides. "I have dealt with your disrespect long enough, Fifteen." he snarled, showing off sharp teeth. "You will listen to me and will not leave the Mansion without a senior member unless the Superior orders otherwise. Do you understand me??" It was as if Saiix had been transformed into someone entirely different, and it scared her, deep down in her bones where she thought she had hidden her fear. Seeing no other way out she nodded slightly, and submitted, her eyes flashing in-between blues and grays of fear.

He let go of her immediately, and in a split second his eyes were blue again, and his threatening aura was gone. He caught her before she fell to the floor in a useless heap, and supported her for a few long moments until she found her bearings and was able to stand on her own. She gasped for air, and when she found that she could breathe again without gasping like a fish, she picked up her bag, watching as Saiix turned to leave. The she found her voice again, and said softly as she dared,

"I am sorry for making you lose your temper, Saiix. I will give you the respect you desire from now on. Please excuse my childish behavior."

She did, in fact, feel a small sense of remorse for baiting him and for making him loose the control that she knew he valued so dearly. She stared at the floor guiltily, waiting for him to leave so that she could find her way to the superior's study. But instead his footsteps stopped, and he turned at the doorway of Vexen's lab to stare at her.

"You are forgiven. See to it that you are not later than you already are." She nodded, and watched as he left.

When Raixia was sure that he was truly gone she hurried to her own room, throwing in her backpack and looking in her bathroom mirror at her stinging throat. She could see a bruise beginning to bloom on the pale skin of her neck, and touched it, concentrating a small bit of her magic in her fingertips. She felt the warm healing energy flow into her skin and cut it off after a second, finally reaching her goal of better control of her healing. The bruise that had began to show was gone, with no sign that it had ever been there to begin with. She studied her reflection for a long moment, looking into her own eyes, which were now a pleased shade of Green/gold. She reached out and touched the glass, her fingertips cooling down when they met the slick, cold surface.

She made her way silently to Xemnas's Study after downing another vile of Ether, feeling her strength creep back into the sun that seemed to hold her magic, which now came to rest over her heart. She knocked politely on the Study door, and waited for Xemnas to call her in. "The Superior is in his rooms. I will be showing you the way there."

Raixia jumped in surprise, and turned to face Vexen, who looked mildly bored. "Hell. Do you make it a point to appear out of nowhere and startle people?" Vexen actually smiled, and led her down a hallway she had never seen before, then up a staircase. "Only the ones who are idiotic enough to fall for it. You should have been at the Study hours ago. I imagine that he will be very vexed with you." Raixia shrugged. "I had things of my own to take care of. He'll live." They stopped at a door carved with runes, and Vexen gave her one last calculating look before disappearing in a haze of darkness and ice. Raixia knocked softly on Xemnas's door, knowing that what Vexen had said was very, possibly true. In fact, she was beginning to develop a sinking feeling, wondering if Xemnas' action would be indeed an angry one. Her fears, however, were sparked when she heard Xemnas' rumbling "Enter."

She opened the door, and entered his rooms.

Xemnas was seated in an arm chair by yet another fireplace, which was smaller than the one in the study, but had a fire burning strong. The room was huge; a large bed sheeted with black and silver satin was tucked in the corner, and the walls were lined with book shelves. There were oil paintings and tapestries hung on the walls as well, and a few desks that held bound notebooks, old fashioned inkwells and pens, and old, ancient artifacts. There were a few other doors leading to different rooms, and the carpet was white and plush under her boots.

When she closed the door behind her, Xemnas rose from his chair, dressed in a black silk robe edged in silver thread, and loose black pants. She could see a hint of his tan, muscled chest, and let the tiniest blush creep into her cheeks. "Saiix told me that you had need of me. I apologize for not coming sooner." She bowed her head, and waited. For what, she did not know, but she expected some sort of reprimand after Saiix's reaction of her leaving the Mansion. "Two has informed me of your extensive progress." She looked up to find Xemnas staring at her intently, and then nodded. "I've gained better control of my magic so Far." she agreed, twisting a lock of her long hair around her finger. "I have learned to limit my use. Vexen said I almost died when I first healed Axel." She shivered as she recalled that night, which felt like yesterday but was actually weeks behind her. "I had you sent here so that I could ask a favor."

She blinked hard, confused. Ask her a favor? What could she do for him that the others in The Organization could not? "You don't have to ask." she told him truthfully. "You are my leader. I will do what you ask, be it a favor or an order." Xemnas loosened the belt of his robe, and her eyes went wide. "What the HELL have I gotten myself into?" she thought, her fear sparking again. Xemnas took off his robe, and she quickly closed the door behind her, on the verge of near panic. "I want you to heal me." Xemnas turned, so that his back was to her. Raixia's breath caught in her throat, eyes stinging.

She couldn't stop the gasp that escaped, even when she pressed a hand over her mouth.

A long, open wound marred the tan flesh of Xemnas's back, the edges looking as if they were scarred, almost as if someone had attempted to close it. The flesh and muscle inside looked withered, and the tissue inside glowed with a dull, black light that occasionally flashed red. It was as if someone had slashed straight down his back near his spine, a badly aimed cut that was very deep.

"How long...?" she managed to say, her voice cracking. She made her way slowly to where he was standing, to where she could stand behind him and examine his injury with faintly glowing fingertips. When she first touched his back he took in a hissed, strained breath. She snatched her hands back, afraid. Not just of hurting him, but what she felt there.

Death had taken root beneath his skin.

She could sense the decay, and the poison that was slowly killing him and feeding off of his magic. "It happened a month ago. A Heartless caught me by surprise with a poisoned blade." Raixia did the math silently in her mind. It had happened before they even knew of her. The poison had set in for over a month. "Is it beyond your ability?" She closed her eyes, and searched inside herself for the sun of power that was her magic. She found it, blazing, like the fire that she saw inside of Axel's eyes.

Xemnas wasn't Axel. He was her leader, part of her family now like with the rest of the men of the Organization, and Larxene. They watched each other's backs, despite age or position. They were the first people to ever care for her, to protect her and teach her. She was not about to let her leader die. "It....." she started, thinking hard."Will take time. I will need several things, but I can do it. Who knows about this?" She touched the scarred edges of the wound again, her fingertips barely glowing this time. "Saiix." She nodded to herself, finally understanding why Saiix had been so pissed off at her for leaving the Mansion. She removed her hands. "I need a vial of Hypodermic Ether, a syringe, and a roll of bandages. I'll get them from Vexen and I'll come back." Xemnas turned, looking her straight in the eye. Her own eyes were a serious, grey blue that looked almost marbled. "I know I ask much of you, Raixia." She shook her head, never flinching from his gaze. "I'm one of you now. It's the least I can do."

Vexen folded his arms, and gave her his usual icy glare. "And why do you need these supplies anyway, if I were to give them to you out of the goodness of my heart?" Raixia groaned in frustration, throwing her arms into the air. "Look, the Superior sent me, alright? How am I supposed to know what he wants them for? Just give me the stuff before he decides to go ahead and punish me for being late." Vexen made his way over to a lab cabinet that he always kept locked, and unlocked it, pulling out a large vial of Ether. He found a roll of gauze bandage and a clean syringe, and held them out to her. She reached, and he gave them to her. She smiled, half expecting him to snatch them back out of her hands and demand that she ask for them nicely, but he did not. "Thank you. If you ever get a busted lip, you know where to find me." She opened his door, giving him one last smirk that he returned. "Of course. In Axel's bed." It took every ounce of her self control to keep on walking, out of his lab and all the way back to Xemnas' rooms where Death was waiting.

"I think you should lie down. I imagine that this'll hurt." She uncapped the syringe and loaded it up with ether, as Xemnas laid face down on his enormous bed. She set the syringe within her reach, and then closed her eyes, pulling the sun that was her healing magic into her hands. Then she pressed them onto the open wound, and felt the heat of her healing magic burn through her veins.

Her eyes were burning.

When she had healed Axel in the alley behind Nocturne it hadn't hurt this much, or taken this long. But Raixia could see, actually SEE her bright, fiery green magic sink into his skin and heal, pulling cells together and dissolving the poison like acid. Xemnas' back arched, and she fought for control as the poison woke up and started to fight her magic. ".Please." she said, through clenched teeth. The poison was black, and writhed like a living thing. At that moment she knew that it was no ordinary poison. Someone had combined it with their magic to ensure a slow, painful death to whoever happened to encounter it. Xemnas' hands curled into the silver sheets as he fought to stay remotely still. The black rope-like poison lashed out at her magic, wrapping around the fire and trying to break it. Xemnas let out a low growl of pain and her eyes burned brighter, as she pushed back at the poison. She was breathing shallowly now, and her heart was beating so hard that her pulse crashed in her ears. The poison wrapped around her magic crumbled and she dove deeper into the wound, grabbing hold of the black mass that was rooted into his very being.

It felt like Death had claimed him.

"This is going to hurt a lot. I need you to brace yourself. Tell me when you're ready, then take a deep breath." She tightened her grip on the blackness, pushing as much of her magic into her hands as she could. "Do it." murmured Xemnas after a few long moments. She felt him take in a long shuddering breath. Then she ripped at the blackness that was death, tearing it out of Xemnas and feeling it burn in her hands. Xemnas let out a strangled, scream-like sound, the sheets ripping in his hands and body trembling. She focused on the mass in her hands, killing it, banishing it to where it had come from. She incinerated the last tendrils of poison left inside Xemnas, then fumbled for the syringe of Ether and jammed the shot into her wrist, as her vision grew hazy and her magic started to fade. She pushed the plunger and felt the cool liquid spill through her veins, filling up her sun of magic and clearing her vision. She removed her hands and cleaned the blood and poison off of them with a length of bandage, feeling dizzy, but strong. She took deep breaths, steadying herself. The Wound was clean and bleeding sluggishly now, no longer poisoned and no longer life threatening. She wiped away the excess blood and dead tissue with a wad of bandage, as Xemnas' heart rate slowed and his body relaxed. "Is it done?" he rasped, as she continued to clean the area around the large slash. Raixia closed her eyes and found her magic again, focusing it back into her hands. "Almost. Just a little longer. but we have to talk. Don't pass out on me, Sir." She brushed her hands over the slash and felt the flesh knit back together, the tissue filling back in until all that remained was a jagged but faint scar. She injected the last of the ether into herself, and cleaned the blood and remnants of poison off of The leader's back, being careful around the tender scar tissue. She felt light headed as she helped him sit up, fighting to stay awake and aware after the intense, almost impossible healing.

"The poison had magic in it. Someone had intended to put Death inside you. Whoever stabbed you knows that you aren't dead, and I have a feeling that he's not very happy."Xemnas chuckled, wincing as she helped him put on his robe, and at the feeling of silk on the hyper-sensitive scar. "The Heartless will never give up until every one of us has passed on into the next life." He tied the belt of his robe, and gave her something like a smile. "And that will take a very, very long time to accomplish. You may leave, Raixia. Get some rest. We have a long week ahead of us." Raixia nodded and left, trying hard not to stagger as she made her way down the stairs and over to her room.

"Whoa. Lay off the liquor, Raixia! You're a mess!"

Raixia let out a groan as she spotted Demyx and Axel lounging on her bed, playing some sort of video game on a plasma screen TV and game system that they had somehow stuck to her ceiling. "I wasn't fucking drinking. I'm just tired." She kicked off her boots and curled up next to Axel. They were playing some sort of first-person zombie killing game that was very loud, and very graphic, complete with authentic screams and gunshots. "Magic lessons with Xiggy?" she curled up in the crook of his arm, and he planted a kiss on her forehead. "Yeah, you could say that. I can almost control it now. And he's teaching me how to teleport." He pressed his thumb on her wrist, felt her racing pulse, and saw the flickering blues and greens in her eyes. "Shit. How many Ethers did you take, Rai??" She gave him a sleepy smile, closing her eyes. "Three. I didn't want to stop. I learned so much." Axel made an annoyed sound, then slapped her over the head lightly. "Ow. Fuck. No fair. tired." she complained, cuddling into his side. "Shut up. Don't take that many at one time again unless we're fighting. You'll hurt yourself, and then who will I sleep with?" She made an annoyed, grumbled sound, and felt herself drift off to sleep as they continued to slaughter zombies.

She woke up the next day with a killer headache, and no Axel in her bed. She stumbled to her bathroom and took a long, hot shower, sighing when the hot water warmed her cold skin. She washed her hair and wrapped herself in one of her black fluffy towels, and went back into her room to find something to wear for the day. She smiled and blushed when she spotted Axel on her bed with a box of donuts, his hair mussed and his skin flushed from the wind and cold outside. He gave her a long, lazy grin, his fiery eyes sweeping up and down her body, and over the pale flesh that the towel didn't cover. "Well good morning to you too. I brought breakfast." Her blush intensified, and she opened her closet, picking out something to wear. She went back into her bathroom and changed quickly into a black wife-beater that she had stolen from him, and a pair of tight black jeans that hugged her hourglass figure. She padded back into her room and gave Axel a good morning kiss, and let him feed her a chocolate Éclair. He licked a trace of chocolate off of her bottom lip, and grinned again. "May I say that you look absolutely delectable with my shirt on?" They were both lounging on her bed together, which was now covered with the black sheets she had bought the night before. "Flattery? What do you want this time?" she replied, not falling for the act. Axel gave her something close to a pout. "Hey, can't I tell you how hot you look without wanting something?" he asked innocently, looking at her with mocking wide eyes. Raixia rolled her own. "No." Axel sighed, and seemed to give in. "Superior's sending me, Marly, Xigbar, Lexeaus, Luxord and Larxene out to storm a known Heartless base. He said if you were up to it to ask if you wanted to join us." She blinked hard. "Ask?" Axel shrugged. "Yeah, I don't get it either. It's usually an order, but hey, whatever. So are you in or what?" She thought about it for a long moment. If they were storming a base, then there was a big chance that someone could get hurt, like at Nocturne. And if they were storming a base, then they'd need all the man power they could get. She nodded. "Yeah, ok. I'll go with you guys. You want me to go tell the Superior, or do you want to do it?" Axel stretched, and yawned. "Nah. I'll bribe Demyx to do it." She looked at him for a few moments, and then smiled. "Wanna go back to your room?"


End file.
